FIRST FRIDAY Music Series @ Galeria West with CHRIS VASQUEZ & FRANCISCO NAVARRO

Galeria West Art GalleryWestfield, NJ

Share this event:

Get Tickets

There are no active dates for this event.

If available, tickets can be purchased at the door on event date on a first come first serve basis starting at 6:00pm.
Call the TEATRO Si box office at 908-301-9496 for ticket availability information.

Event

FIRST FRIDAY Music Series @ Galeria West with CHRIS VASQUEZ & FRANCISCO NAVARRO

The popular FIRST FRIDAY Music Concert Series at the wonderfully intimate Galeria West Art Gallery continues with a special evening of the classic Tango music made popular by the iconic Argentine singer Carlos Gardel and more as performed by acclaimed Tango vocalist and actor Chris Vasquez & award winning guitarist Francisco Pancho Navarro.From his hometown of Buffalo, New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chris Vasquez has been recognized for his passionate interpretations of the tango. The NY Argentine Consulate recently awarded Mr. Vasquez the honored prize of "Best Singer" at their International Tango Music Competition, and he was a finalist in the Medellín, Colombia International Tango Festival Voice Competition. He has performed in New York at the Museo del Barrio, The Spanish Institute, Americas Society, The Park Theatre in NJ, and at The National Building Museum in Washington, DC among others. He has been guest soloist with the Long Island Symphony and The Americas Vocal Ensemble. He has written and produced several tango shows including the celebrated The Son of Tango: A Tribute to Carlos Gardel. As an actor, he has been seen in theater, film and TV in the USA and Spain and has toured in concert in Romania, Bulgaria, and China. Mr. Vasquez holds degrees from Tufts University and from the New England Conservatory of Music.Francisco Navarro was born in 1944 in La Consulta, a township in Mendoza, Argentina's wine state. He trained as a classical guitarist, but his abilities extend beyond playing the guitar, as he is a consummate arranger and singer. Over time, he brought his guitar all over South America and Mexico. In Mexico City, he performed with highly acclaimed artists, such as Armando Mananero, Bebu Silvetti, Cristian Castro, Vicente Fernandez, Lucha Villa, Cuco Sanchez, Miguel Acevez Mejia, Maria de Lourdes, Guadalope Pineda, Rosita Quintana, Veronica Castro and Hugo Jordan. In 1984, after a decade in Mexico City, Pancho moved with his wife and three children to New York City. The gamble paid off as he became a first-call Latin American guitarist on A-list sessions. Francisco's guitar can be heard in the soundtracks of the movies: "Mambo Kings" (Guantanamera, with Celia Cruz) , "Flawless" (Tia's Tango with Tangurdia) and the Golden Globe and Oscar winning "Frida" (throughout the film). He has also appeared in numerous recordings, including the Fania All Stars "Bamboleo" with Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez (solo on Bamboleo), "Guasasa" with Johny Pacheco, Ray Barreto, Bobby Valentin, Papo Luca, Roberto Roena (solo on Allegria) and Wea Carobe Tito Nieves "En Otra Onda", which was nominated for a Grammy Award. Most recently he performed with Placido Domingo at the Washington Opera and the New York Metropolitan Opera. Space is limited. Reserve early! We hope you will join us often during the year to celebrate the arts in a unique setting. We recommend that you consider enjoying a fine meal before or after the concert at one of the fine eateries in quaint downtown Westfield. Most are located within a short walk from the gallery.